
138Driving and operatingCaution
Vehicles equipped with hydraulic
power steering:
If the steering wheel is turned until it reaches the end of its travel, and
is held in that position for more
than 15 seconds, damage may
occur to the power steering
system and there may be loss of
power steering assist.
Starting and operating
New vehicle running-in
Do not brake unnecessarily hard for
the first few journeys and after new
disc brake pads have been fitted.
During the first drive, smoke may
occur because of wax and oil
evaporating off the exhaust system.
Park the vehicle in the open for a
while after the first drive and avoid
inhaling the fumes.
During the running-in period fuel and engine oil consumption may be
higher and the cleaning process of the diesel particle filter may take
place more often. Autostop may be
inhibited to allow for charging the
vehicle battery.
Stop-start system 3 140.
Diesel particle filter 3 146.
Ignition switch positions Turn key:0:ignition off: Some functions
remain active until key is
removed or driver's door is
opened, provided the ignition was
on previously1:accessory power mode: Steering wheel lock released, some
electrical functions are operable,
ignition is off2:ignition is on, diesel engine is
preheating. Control indicators
illuminate and most electrical
functions are operable3:engine start: Release key after
starting procedure begins

Driving and operating139Steering wheel lockRemove key from ignition switch and
turn steering wheel until it engages.9 Danger
Never remove the key from
ignition switch during driving as
this will cause steering wheel lock.
Starting the engine
Manual transmission: operate clutch.
Manual transmission automated:
operate brake; transmission
automatically shifts to N.
Do not accelerate.
Turn the key to position 2 for
preheating, and hold until control
indicator N extinguishes from the
Driver Information Centre.
Note
Depending on vehicle, if a gear is
engaged during preheating, a
message may appear in the Driver
Information Centre (DIC) 3 106
indicating that the clutch pedal must be depressed when starting the
engine.
Turn key to position 3 and release.
The increased engine speed
automatically returns to normal idling
speed as the engine temperature
rises.
Start attempts should not last longer
than 15 seconds. If engine does not
start, wait 15 seconds before
repeating starting procedure. If
necessary, depress accelerator
before repeating starting procedure.Note
Rear-wheel drive: When starting on
a level surface with an unladen
vehicle, it is recommended that
second gear is selected when
starting off.
Before restarting or to switch off the
engine, turn key back to 0.
During an Autostop, the engine can
be started by depressing the clutch
pedal.
Stop-start system 3 140.
Turbo engine warm-up
Upon start-up, engine available
torque may be limited for a short time, especially when the engine
temperature is cold. The limitation is
to allow the lubrication system to fully
protect the engine.

Driving and operating141Deactivation
Deactivate the stop-start system
manually by pressing Î.
Deactivation is indicated when the
LED in the button illuminates.
To reactivate, press Î again. The
LED extinguishes in the button. The system is reactivated automatically
the next time the ignition is switched
on.
Note
When the fast idle function is
activated, the stop-start system is
automatically deactivated and
cannot be reactivated by pressing
Î . LED in button illuminates to
indicate deactivation and a
corresponding message may
appear in the Driver Information
Centre 3 106.
Idle speed control 3 140.
AutostopManual transmission
If the vehicle is at low speed or
standstill, activate an Autostop as
follows:
● depress the clutch pedal
● move the selector lever to neutral
● release the clutch pedal
Control indicator Ï may flash if the
clutch is not released sufficiently.Manual transmission automated
If the vehicle is at a standstill, activate an Autostop as follows:
● selector lever in position N (or
A/M )
● depress brake pedal firmly
● do not accelerate
The engine will be switched off while
the ignition stays on if the required
conditions are fulfilled.
An Autostop is indicated when Ï
illuminates green in the instrument
cluster 3 105.
During an Autostop, the heating
performance, power steering and
brake performance will be
maintained. Brake assist, however, is
not available 3 160.
Note
If you exit the vehicle while the
engine is in an Autostop, a warning
chime will sound as a reminder that
the engine is on standby and has not been switched off.

144Driving and operating● Close the windows.
● Turn the ignition key to position
0 and remove it. Turn the
steering wheel until the
steering wheel lock is felt to
engage.
Lock the vehicle 3 26 and activate the
anti-theft locking system 3 37 and
anti-theft alarm system 3 38.
Air suspension
Operates automatically when the
vehicle is driven. The air suspension
system constantly adjusts the ride
height according to the vehicle load.
Caution
To ensure safe operation of the air
suspension system, do not exceed the maximum permissible gross
vehicle weight rating. Refer to
identification plate 3 231 or the
vehicle documents.
For further information on the air
suspension system, refer to the
operating instructions supplied.
Master switchCaution
The air suspension system must
be switched off when the vehicle is being towed, jump‐started, raised
off the ground or transported.
Do not switch off the air
suspension system when driving.
Jump starting 3 219.
Towing the vehicle 3 221.
The master switch is located on the
lower part of the right-hand door pillar,
behind a trim panel.
Switch on to enable operation and
adjustment of the air suspension
system.
Switch off to put the vehicle into
service mode.
Remote control
When increased ground clearance or improved vehicle access is required,
the suspension can be raised or
lowered using the remote control.

Driving and operating167Note
In vehicles fitted with a Speed
limiter, fully depressing the
accelerator pedal will not allow you
to exceed the set maximum vehicle
speed.
Speed limiter 3 166.
Deactivation of the functionality
Press $: speed limiter is deactivated
and the vehicle can be driven
normally.
The limit speed is stored and a
corresponding message appears in
the Driver Information Centre.
Activation of the functionality Press R. The speed limiter function is
reactivated.
Pressing < will also reactivate the
speed limiter function, but at the
current vehicle speed only, not the
stored speed.
Switching off the system
Press U.
Yellow control indicator U
extinguishes in the instrument cluster.Maximum speed limiter
In accordance with local or national
regulations, the vehicle may be
equipped with a fixed maximum
speed limiter that cannot be disabled.
If equipped, a warning label indicating the fixed maximum speed limit (90 to
130 km/h) is located on the
instrument panel.
Deviations from the maximum speed
limit may occur briefly when driving
downhill, for physical reasons.
A warning chime may sound for
10 seconds if the vehicle briefly
exceeds the set limit.
Vehicles also equipped with speed
limiter: the maximum speed cannot
be exceeded by depressing the
accelerator pedal firmly beyond the
point of resistance.
Active emergency braking Active emergency braking can help to
reduce the damage and injury from
crashes with vehicles directly ahead, when a collision can no longer be
avoided either by manual braking orby steering. The feature uses various inputs (e.g. camera sensor, radar
sensor, brake pressure, vehicle
speed) to calculate the probability of
a frontal collision.9 Warning
This system is not intended to
replace the driver responsibility for driving the vehicle and looking
ahead. Its function is limited to
supplemental use only to reduce
the vehicle speed before a
collision.
The system only detects vehicles
driving in the same direction of
traffic.
After a sudden lane change, the
system needs a certain time to
detect the next preceding vehicle.
The driver must always be ready
to take action and apply the brakes and steer to avoid collisions.

172Driving and operatingThe area displayed by the camera is
limited. The distance of the image that
appears on the display differs from
the actual distance.
Note
To achieve the optimum visibility, the
rear view camera must not be
obscured by dirt, snow or ice.
Activation
Interior mirror display screen
Rear view camera display is
automatically activated when reverse
gear is engaged. An audible signal
confirms activation.
Info Display
In vehicles with navigation system,
the rear view camera display is shown
on the Info Display.
Trajectory lane display image (1)
Depending on version, the trajectory
lane (1) of the vehicle is shown in blue
on the Info Display. It shows the path of the vehicle in accordance with the
steering angle.
Fixed lane display image (2)
The fixed lane display (2) shows the
path of the vehicle if the wheels are
kept straight.
Guide lines (3, 4, 5) are used together
with the fixed lane display (2) and
indicate the distance behind the
vehicle.

Driving and operating173The guide line intervals are as
follows:3 (red):30 cm4 (yellow):70 cm5 (green):150 cmSettings
Settings, e.g. brightness, can be set via the Infotainment system. Refer to Infotainment manual for further
information.
Deactivation
The camera is deactivated after a
delay if reverse gear is not engaged.
Fault
The rear view camera may not
operate properly when:
● the surrounding is dark
● the sun or the beam of headlights
is shining directly into the camera lens
● ice, snow, mud, or anything else covers the camera lens. Clean
the lens, rinse it with water, and
wipe it with a soft cloth
● the rear doors are not closed correctly
● the vehicle had a rear-end accident
● there are extreme temperature changes
Lane departure warning The lane departure warning systemuses a front camera to observe the
lane markings between which the
vehicle is driving. The system detects
lane changes and warns the driver in
the event of an unintended lane
change via visual and acoustic
signals.
Criteria for the detection of an
unintended lane change are:
● no operation of turn lights
● no active steering
If the driver is performing these
actions, no warning will be issued.Activation
The lane departure warning system is activated by pressing ì in the roof
console. The LED in the button
extinguishes to indicate that the
system is switched on.

Driving and operating177Trailer hitch
General information
Only use towing equipment that has
been approved for your vehicle.
Entrust fitting of towing equipment at
a later date to a workshop. It may be
necessary to make changes that
affect the cooling system, heat
shields or other equipment.
Driving characteristics and towing tips
In the case of trailers with brakes,
attach the breakaway stopping cable.
Before attaching a trailer, lubricate
the coupling ball. However, do not do
so if a stabiliser, which acts on the coupling ball, is being used to reduce
snaking movements. For trailers with
low driving stability the use of a
stabiliser is recommended.
A maximum speed of 80 km/h must
not be exceeded, even in countries
where higher speeds are permitted.If the trailer starts snaking, drive more slowly, do not attempt to correct the
steering and brake sharply if
necessary.
When driving downhill, drive in the
same gear as if driving uphill and
drive at a similar speed.
Adjust tyre pressure to the value
specified for full load 3 252.
Trailer towing
Trailer loads The permissible trailer loads are
vehicle-dependent and engine-
dependent maximum values which
must not be exceeded. The actual
trailer load is the difference between
the actual gross weight of the trailer
and the actual coupling socket load
with the trailer coupled.
The permissible trailer loads are
specified in the vehicle documents. In
general, they are valid for gradients
up to max. 12%.
The permitted trailer load applies up to the specified incline and up to an
altitude of 1000 m above sea level.Since engine power decreases as
altitude increases due to the air
becoming thinner, therefore reducing
climbing ability, the permissible gross
train weight also decreases by 10%
for every 1000 m of additional
altitude. The gross train weight does
not have to be reduced when driving
on roads with slight inclines (less than 8%, e.g. motorways).
The permissible gross train weight
must not be exceeded. This weight is
specified on the identification plate
3 231.
Vertical coupling load
The vertical coupling load is the load
exerted by the trailer on the coupling
ball. It can be varied by changing the
weight distribution when loading the
trailer.
The maximum permissible vertical
coupling load is specified on the
towing equipment identification plate
and in the vehicle documents. Always aim for the maximum load, especially in the case of heavy trailers. The
vertical coupling load should never
fall below 25 kg.